When it comes to international transport, companies often look at transport costs first. Understandably so, as air freight is generally more expensive than sea freight. However, in practice, the cheapest transport option turns out not to be the most cost-effective one. The most important question, however, is not: what does air freight cost? But rather: what does it cost if your goods arrive late?
Many companies only opt for air freight when a supplier experiences delays, production comes to a standstill, or when a customer has a fixed delivery date. In such situations, air freight often pays for itself.
Air freight is not always the best choice; therefore, we recommend sea freight or a combination of both when this best fits your schedule. In this blog, we discuss, based on seven situations, when air freight is indeed the smartest choice.
When is air freight the best choice?
Air freight is particularly attractive when the consequences of delays outweigh the higher transport costs.
When a production line threatens to grind to a halt
Does a production line grind to a halt because a part is missing? The costs of downtime can quickly rise above the additional costs of air freight.
When you need to deliver to an important customer on time
Does an important delivery need to arrive on a fixed date? Then a delay can lead to fines, lost follow-up orders, or reputational damage. With air freight, you can still meet the agreed delivery times and prevent damage to your relationship with your customer.
When your stock runs out faster than expected
Is your stock running out sooner than expected? Then you can no longer deliver orders or you have to disappoint customers. By transporting a portion of the goods by air, you replenish your stock faster and prevent loss of revenue.
When your supplier delivers later than agreed
Is your supplier experiencing delays? Then the entire shipment does not need to be sent by air. We often transport only the goods that are needed immediately via air freight. The rest follows by sea freight. This keeps your schedule on track and helps you keep transport costs manageable. For imports from China, we regularly apply this combination when a portion of the goods is needed quickly, but transport costs must remain manageable.
For valuable goods
When transporting valuable goods, speed is not the only important factor. Every transshipment is an additional opportunity for damage or loss to occur. Air freight involves fewer transshipment points and a shorter transport time. Therefore, valuable goods such as electronics or machine parts are regularly transported via international air transport.
With a fixed deadline
A trade fair or product launch has a fixed date. If your shipment arrives too late, you will miss the moment when your products need to be sold or presented. In such situations, air freight is often the most reliable choice.
When a machine or installation cannot be used
Is a machine or installation at a standstill because a single part is missing? Then the costs often escalate faster than the additional transport costs of air freight. By transporting the part by air, production can often be resumed much sooner.
When is sea freight the best choice?
Air freight is not always the best choice for your transport. When time is less of a concern, sea freight is the best choice. Additionally, for example, when:
- Large volumes are being transported
- Sufficient stock is available
- Transport costs outweigh speed
- A longer delivery time does not affect the schedule
Because we handle both modes of transport, we provide independent advice on which solution best suits your needs.
How Van Thiel Transport helps with transport choice
Before providing advice, we first review your schedule, goods, and the potential consequences of delays. For example:
- When do the goods need to be available?
- What are the costs if the delivery is late?
- Is there sufficient stock?
- Can part of the shipment be sent by air and part by sea?
We advise companies daily that are undecided between air freight, sea freight, or a combination of both. This allows us to quickly provide you with insight into which mode of transport best suits your situation.
Practical example: part by air freight, the rest by sea freight
A client in the e-commerce sector imported a full 40 ft container of robotic vacuum cleaners from China. Due to production problems at the supplier, delivery was delayed, meaning the stock in Europe was sufficient for approximately five days. After that, the best-selling products would no longer be available.
Sending everything by sea freight would lead to stock shortages, and sending everything by air freight was unnecessarily expensive. Therefore, Van Thiel Transport advised shipping only the most urgent goods by air freight. Two pallets were delivered door-to-door in the Netherlands within four days. The rest of the container followed by sea freight. This way, stock levels remained adequate and orders could be delivered as usual, while transport costs remained manageable.
This is a solution we recommend frequently: only the goods needed immediately are sent by air freight, while the rest of the shipment follows by sea freight. This allows you to benefit from the speed of air freight and the lower costs of sea freight.
Frequently asked questions about when air freight is the best choice
Yes. Air freight is almost always faster than sea freight. An international air freight shipment often arrives at its destination within a few days, whereas sea freight is usually en route for several weeks. The final transit time depends on the destination, available flight capacity, and customs clearance, among other factors.
Air freight pays for itself when the costs of a delayed delivery exceed the additional transport costs. Consider production downtime, inventory shortages, lost revenue, contractual penalties, or failure to meet delivery agreements. In such situations, air freight often proves to be the most cost-effective solution.
No. Air freight is primarily suitable for time-critical or valuable goods. When speed is less important, large volumes are being transported, or delivery time is less critical, sea freight is often a better choice. Van Thiel Transport advises on the best mode of transport for each shipment.
Yes. Van Thiel Transport handles both air and sea freight and compares both modes of transport. In doing so, we consider your schedule, inventory, goods, and the consequences of delays. Sometimes sea freight proves to be the best choice, sometimes air freight, and frequently a combination of both is the most cost-effective solution.
A delayed delivery can lead to production downtime, stock shortages, lost revenue, fines, or dissatisfied customers. By choosing the right mode of transport in advance, these risks can often be prevented. Van Thiel Transport helps companies weigh the consequences of delays against transport costs.